Becoming an Entrepreneur

Starting a Game Meat Processing Business

Here's some helpful information that is perfect for those who plan on opening a game meat processing business. Make sure you consider this advice before you begin your venture.

Wondering how to start a game meat processing business? We take you step-by-step from start to success.

Becoming a Game Meat Processing Business Owner

As more and more hunters distance themselves from the processing requirements of the meat they harvest, skilled game meat processors are being asked to play a larger role in the $23+ billion per year hunting industry in the U.S.

Although some professional butchers make their way into the game meat processing field, the industry is primarily populated with individuals who have turned their skill at processing their own meat into a viable small business. But before you begin offering your services to other hunters, there are a few other skills you will need to perfect.

Right away, you will need to approach your new business with a professional business mentality. Whether you are launching your operation part-time from a home-based shop or full-time in a fully equipped facility, it's important to understand the distinction between a job mentality vs. a business ownership mentality.

As a business owner, you will be required to strike a balance between risk and reward, constantly growing your business without incurring large loads of debt. If your business skills are shaky, consider finding a mentor or participating in a local small business owner's association for guidance.

Revenue Strategies in Game Meat Processing

For ambitious game meat processors, the sky is the limit in terms of the amount of revenue your business can generate. But for now, here are a few tips to help increase the amount of revenue your business generates during its early years.

Location. Don't underestimate the importance of the location you choose for your game meat processing startup. Some locations simply preclude the possibility of profitable game meat processing. To maximize revenue, make sure your operation is situated in area with a high concentration of hunters, many of which must travel long distances to enjoy local hunting opportunities.

Partner with Preserves. Game preserves are a growing segment of the U.S. hunting industry -- and they almost always offer meat processing and packaging services to their clients. Consider striking up alliances with area game preserves to offload their processing needs, allowing them to focus on their guests' other requirements.

Shipping. It's not uncommon for game meat processing customers to require shipping for their meat, especially if they are traveling by air. Since stuffing packages of venison steaks into their luggage isn't an option, your startup can offer hunters frozen meat shipment through UPS or other carriers.

Writing a Business Plan for a Game Meat Processing Business

Does your game meat processing business have a business plan? If not, your company is lacking a critical business tool. With the right ingredients, your game meat processing company's business plan will serve as a blueprint for success.

Time and time again, the best entrepreneurs we see rely on professionally crafted plans to guide their decision making. However, outsourcing doesn't completely eliminate your responsibilities in the writing process.

Startup entrepreneurs are well advised to materially participate in the writing process, even after they have engaged a proven professional.

Don't Ignore Competitors

Prior to launching a game meat processing business in your area, it's worthwhile to see how strong the competition is. We've provided the link below to help you get a list of local competitors near you. After following the link, enter your city, state and zip code to get a list of game meat processing businesses in your area.

Before you open up shop, make sure you know what you will offer to your customers that provides a significant advantage over your competition's offering.

Learning More About the Industry

If you want to open a game meat processing business you really ought to talk to somebody who is already in the business. If you think owners of nearby game meat processing businesses will give you advice, think again. Why would they want to educate a future competitor?

But, a person who owns a game meat processing business in a location that is not competitive to you may be willing to share their entrepreneurial wisdom with you, given that you don't compete with them in their area. In that case, the business owner may be more than happy to discuss the industry with you. In my experience, you may have to call ten business owners in order to find one who is willing to share his wisdom with you.

Do you know how to find a game meat processing business entrepreneur in a different locale who can assist you?

Here's how we would do it. Try the useful link below and key in a random city/state or zipcode.

In general, purchased game meat processing businesses fare better than startups, at least during the initial few years. When you buy an established game meat processing business, you gain access to a functional business operation with a customer base and a steady revenue stream.

If you can't find a suitable game meat processing business-for-sale, you'll need to start a new business. But for the sake of minimizing risk and maintaining your sanity, a business purchase is often the right move for emerging game meat processing business entrepreneurs.

Don't Forget About Franchising As an Option

As an entrepreneur, your chances being a successful business owner are greatly increased if you become a franchisee in lieu of doing everything yourself.

Before you get too far along in your plan to open a game meat processing business, a smart move is to investigate whether franchise opportunities in your space might make your life much easier.

The link below gives you access to our franchise directory so you can see if there's a franchise opportunity for you. You might even find something that points you in a completely different direction.

Any comments, questions or suggestions to share regarding launching a game meat processing business? Sharing your thoughts will help the hundreds of thousands of small business owners who visit this site looking for advice.